Farewell

   No one was laughing or smiling that day, except the parents. Nothing was normal. One could actually see their faces, sparkling with tears. They were the teachers and their beloved students. That day was the 10th standard farewell day.

   I and my friends Steve, Alex, James, Katy and Xialing were sitting together on a table, topped with cakes and burgers. ‘Happiness is a table topped with good food and best friends.’ That day proved this wrong. I knew that we would always remain in touch together. The only thing bothering us was the fact that all our ‘deeds’ and the so-called adventures, were about to be left behind. The sharing of mouth-watering food, the sports days, the field trips, the plays, fights, even the tiniest things like snack breaks… all were soon to be abandoned by us. Rather they would abandon us.

   No one would remember the wild lunch breaks, the calm music lectures, the energetic sports days, basically, our times of glory, all would be history…

After the singing performance which the primary kids were asked to do for us, the Principal granted us all permission to go, have a walk down the beach, beside the school. As the six of us walked down the beach, each of us was involved in our own thought, but we knew damn well what the others were thinking.

   “So… what now?” Steve asked. “Ice-cream?” Replied Alex. “No, no. I meant, what after school? Our childhood has just ended. In the past few minutes.” Xialing replied “Find a college. Complete education. Find a job…” She broke off. “Oh my God, I can’t believe this! We are actually.. We are adults now, guys.” The truth probably seemed too harsh and sudden to her; she covered her face and walked ahead of us. Katy, who was silent all this time, spoke up “Yeah. I mean, we’d still be together, right? We.. we are all gonna stay in touch?” “Yeah, of course,” I replied. “But the past is gone. Our lives are never going to be the same ever again.”

   I looked at the others. They were all crying. For some time, no one said anything. At long last, James spoke up “A few years ago, we were dying to get out of school. Now look at us. See, we change with time. Our thoughts change with us. And if we think positively, we’ll have a proper life ahead.” “Hell yeah,” Katy replied. “You’re right, James,” I said. “Xialing, get over here. Stop crying. We are friends…” “Best friends,” came Xialing’s muffled voice through her handkerchief. “Yeah. Best friends.” I continued. “So what if our school life ended? We have an entire life ahead of us. An independent life. And as for our friendship, it will never die. Because we are never gonna give each other up, or…” “let each other down,” said Alex, picking up the Line. Then the others came in, “or run around and desert the others. We will never make each other cry, or say goodbye, or tell a lie and hurt each other!” We shouted the last line and laughed our hearts out. We laughed. Imagining all that we had lived and experienced, we laughed. Laughter that lacked pure humour or joy, we laughed.

   And then, holding each other’s hands, we walked along the shore line. We walked where the land met the sea, thinking this is the time, when our childhood would meet our adulthood…